Car roof



Jan. 1, 1929. 1,696,980

A. E. SMALL CAR ROOF Filed Aug 22, 1927 ZSheets-Sheet 1 j zvenor flrlllur E; 517161] Jan. l, 1929.

A. E. SMALL C'AR ROOF Filed Aug. 22, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filg-8 Jr; 0611 for Hr/fiur E. 5111a]! Patented Jan. 1, 1929*.

'rrso STA PATENT DFFICE.

ARTHUR E. SMALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO IP. H. MURPHY COMPANY,

OF NEW KENSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' can soon.

Application filed August 22, 1927. Serial No. 214,668.

This invention relates to railway freight car roofs, and more particularly to the all metal type of roof wherein a plurality of relatively thick roof sheets span the distance between the opposite side walls of the car and are so formed and arranged as to not only act as a roof in protecting the lading from the weather but also to perform the functions of the usual CZLl'llIlGS, ridge pole and purlins which, in the ordinary car, constitute the roof framing.

A railway car in motion weaves and rocks and the rectangular frame composed of the side plates and end plates becomes distorted into a parallelogram the cars also twist on their longitudinal axis setting up torsional strains and the room sheets tend to slide past each other attheir adjoining edges. Therefore, the seams between the adjoining edges of adjacent roof sheets must be well secured to each other or made flexible so that they will not tear and cause a leaky roof.

An object of this invention is to provide a preferably all metal car roof comp-rising a plurality of arched or cambered roof sheets spanning the distance between side walls of the car with the side margins of adjacent sheets attached to each other to form a waterproof construction wherein certain of said metallic roof sheets are fixedly attached 4 to the opposite side walls of the car to act as gussets to resist the stresses tending to distort the frame of the car which rigid roof sheets are preferably of relatively thick material and wherein other of said metallic roof sheets are movably positioned between the fixed roof sheets and preferably supported by the fixed roof sheets and (the side walls of the car, which movable roof sheets do not act as gussets, therefore they may be of thinner material than the fixed roof sheets and as the thinner metallic plate will corrode through quicker than a relatively thick roof sheet I prefer to form them with a greater camber or arch so as to increase their capacity as a water-shed. As the fixed roofsheets are of less camber or arch, and, therefore, relatively fiat, they are better positioned to act as gussets.

It is necessary to restrict the bodily movethe car issuddenly stopped or swayed, but these movable sheets must, however, be permltted to accommodate the various movements and distortions of the car body with- 1 out binding. Therefore, the movable roof sheets are positioned between the fixed roof sheets in such a manner as to permit pivotal movement thereof though restricting their transverse and longitudinal movement.

An object of the invention is to provide a car roof comprising a plurality of preferably relatively thick roof sheets fixedly secured to the car body, alternately or otherwise dispersed between a plurality of preferably relatlvely thinner roof sheets movably supported by the car body and the fixed roof sheets, whereby the buckling stresses of the car in motlon are not transmitted to the flexible sheets or in other words, to obtain a roof wherein only a portion of the roof sheets are subject to the buckling stresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a part of a car with my improved roof applied thereon.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4: show modified forms.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-'6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a part of a car with a modification of my improved roof applied thereon.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of Fig. 7.

Figs. 9 and 10 show modified forms.

Fig. 11 is a section on line 11-1l of Fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a section on line 12-12of Fig. 7.

Fig. 13 is a detail of a movable roof sheet.

In the drawings the end plate 1 and side plate 2 are the upper frame members of the end and side walls of the car respectively. The roof sheets 3 span the distance between the opposite side plate 2 and are fixedly secured thereto by rivets st or other means. The end roof sheet is preferably a fixed sheet and is fixedly secured to the end plate 1 by rivets 5 or other means. The movable roof sheets 6 also span the distance between the opposite side plates and are movably or freely supported thereby and their side margins are preferably supported by the side margins of the adjacent fixed sheet, either directly or through an intermediary, such as a carline or joint strip.

The number of fixed and movable roof sheets and their relative location may vary and still come within the scope of the invention. In the preferred arrangement a fixed sheet is positioned at each end of the car and another fixed sheet adjacent the middle of the car with fixed and movable sheets dispersed therebet-ween. A good practical arrangement would be to have the fixed sheets alternating with the movable sheet.

In Fig. i the fixed sheets (which are fixedly secured to the side plates) are rigidly attached to the carlines 10 by rivets 11 so as to resist the tendency of the car to distort when weaving. The movable sheets (which are movably supported by the side plates) are arranged to provide spaces 12 between these upstanding flanges l3 and the carlines 10 to permit freedom of movement longitudinally of the car and are also arranged to provide spaces 14 between the downturned flanges 15 and the side plate to permit movement laterally of the car. These spaces 12 and 14 permit the car to weave and the movable sheet to move without binding or transmitting any buckling stresses to the movable sheets. Any weatherproofing means between the carline and the movable sheet may be provided, such as cap 16. The running boards 17 and their saddles 18 may be attached as shown.

Fig. 2 shows the carline 20 formed integral with the fixed sheet 3. The weather-proofing cap may be discarded by positioning the upturned flange under the carline if desired.

In order to support the movable sheets between the side plates, if deemed advisable, I provide one or more beams 21 spanning the distance between the adjacent fixed sheets with its opposite ends supported thereby or by a carline if one is present. I prefer to locate one of these beams adjacent the longitudinal center line of the car. These beams may be substantially the width of the movable sheets and positioned with their lower part 22 substantially flush with the bottom of the fixed root sheet, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in which arrangement the movable sheets have a greater slope forming a better watershed so that thinner sheets may be used. The fixed sheets are thus nearly in a horizontal plane and consequently better adapted to act as gussets but as they have a lesser inclination they do not form as good awatershed, therefore, should be of thicker material, which, however, is not objectionable as they should be thicker to perform the functions of gussets. These beams, however, may

extend the full length of the car and be attached to the opposite end walls of the car,

as shown as 23 in Fig. 8. Such beams are preferably rigidly attached to the fixed roof sheets, for instance, by rivets 40.

Fig. 3 shows the beam supported by a separate carline 10.

The carlines, integral or otherwise, not

only support the roof sheets but resist the tendency of the fixed sheets to buckle when they are acting as gussets.

For specified reasons I prefer to have certain of the sheets given a greater slope (or watershed) than other roof sheets, but it is immaterial to my invention whether this watershed is given to the roof sheets by forming them on a curve (arcuate) or a series of flat planes (apexed) both of which arrangements are common in roots in use today. I have used the term arched in the claims to define either structure or any structure similar thereto.

Figs. 7 to 12 inclusive illustrate a modified dinally of the car is restricted by positioning the widened central portion 32 of the sheets loosely between the adjacent carlines and forming the sheet with narrowed tapering ends 33, as shown in Fig. 13.

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar to Figs. 2 and 3 respectively. The carline 10 and the cap 16 may be rigidly secured together by rivet 4:1 to form a unitary beam or a two piece carline with the lower piece 10 supporting the sheets or at least the movable sheets and the upper piece 16 providing waterproofing means between adjacent sheets or at least for the movable sheets.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof within the scope of the claims will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. in a car roof; the combination of a plurality oi roof sheets fixedly secured to the opposite side walls or" the car, a plurality of roof sheets movably positioned between and supported by said fixed root sheets and the side walls of the car, and a beam extending the full length of the car and attached to the opposite end walls and to the fixed roof sheets, said beam supporting the movable sheets.

2; In a car roof; the combination of a plurality of roof sheets fixedly secured to the opposite side walls of the car, a plurality of roof sheets movably positioned between and supported by said fixed roof sheets, and a beam spanning the distance between adjacent fixed sheets and supporting the movable design wherein the movable sheets are re sheet, said movable sheets formed to provide spanning the distance between adjacent fixed 1 portions which engage the opposite sides of sheets and supporting the movable sheet, said the beam to restrict the movement of the movable sheets formed to provide portions sheets transversely of the car. which engage the opposite sides of the beam 3. In a car roof; the combination of a pluat one place only to restrict the movement of rality of roof sheets fixedly secured to the 0pthe sheets transversely of the car but permit 15 posite side Walls of the car, a plurality of roof pivotal movement thereof in a substantially sheets movably positioned between and suphorizontal plane. ported by said fixed roof sheets, and a beam ARTHUR'E. SMALL. 

